Not Alone
by Ilmare-Ilse
Summary: Flack has always seen the crimelab as his surrogate family, trusting them with his life. After the losses he's suffered in the last few years, will he accept Jo Danville as part of the family? Post Ep for Justified, some spoilers for seasons 6 and 7.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a tough case.

Finally closing for the day, Jo Danville was relieved. Everything had turned out in the best possible way, under the circumstances. The D.A. would not press charges on Jay Carver, and the Chief would get to be with his niece on her wedding day.

As she was walking towards the elevator she spotted Hawkes, who was filling a bag with some medical supplies. She waited for him inside the elevator.

"I didn't know that you were still working in Central Park…"

Sheldon looked at his bag, shaking his head. "This? Oh, no. I just got off the phone with Lindsay. She said that she had finally managed to drag Danny to a doctor to check on him, but that Flack had gone straight home, saying that he was _fine_ and not to worry…" He sighed.

Jo chuckled. "I take it his opinion is not to be trusted when it comes to his own health?"

Hawkes winced. "Lately he has been sharing a bit more, but Danny was pretty roughed up, and he said that Flack had gotten the worst of it. I just want to drop by and make sure it's nothing serious."

"If he's as stubborn as you say he is, what makes you think he'll let you come in and check him over?"

"I'm stopping by Danny's first to borrow his spare key… Hopefully he won't kick me out if I manage to get in…" He shrugged.

"Do you need company?" Asked Jo.

Hawkes looked surprised. "Hmm, if you tag along, then it'll be harder for him to kick us both out. Would you mind?"

Jo smiled. "Not at all! Ellie is staying over at a friend's house tonight, and Tyler will survive by himself for a couple of hours."

Hawkes smiled. "Great, let's go".

* * *

An hour later found them standing outside Flack's Apartment. As Hawkes was finding the right key, Jo looked dubious. "Shouldn't we knock first?"

Hawkes opened the door quietly. "I tried calling him from Danny's but he wasn't answering his home line. So, _if_ he's home, I don't think he would open the door even if we knocked…"

They entered Flack's apartment quietly. The living room was dark, the only sound coming from the TV, playing some sports show.

The glow of the TV lit up the figure lying on the couch, snoring softly.

Hawkes approached Flack quietly, noticing the bruises and the pained expression on his face. Reaching out to shake his shoulder softly, he called his name. "Flack? Can you wake up for a little while?"

Flack sat up startled, regretting the sudden movement as his bruised ribs protested painfully. "What the f…! Hmph… Doc? What'cha doing here?" He settled back on the couch, holding his ribs and closing his eyes.

Hawkes helped him to lie back down. Taking some supplies out of his bag he looked Flack over. "We just came by to make sure you were alright..."

Don groaned again, opening one eye. "Well, I was fine until you showed up and woke me up…"

Hawkes smiled sympathetically. "Can I turn on the light to see for myself?"

Flack sighed resignedly. "You won't leave me be until I agree, so we might as well get this over with…"

At Hawkes' nod, Jo turned on the light, which made Don squeeze his eyes shut and moan again. When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed her for the first time.

"Jo?" He turned to Hawkes. "You brought backup? It's not a fair fight…"

Hawkes helped him to sit up on the couch, settling his head to get a look view on the bruising on his face. "I think you did enough fighting for the day". He takes out a flashlight. "I'll just give you a quick checkup an then we'll leave you in peace, ok?"

While Hawkes was blinding him with the flashlight, Don shrugged. "Yeah, whatever you say, Doc". He was beyond caring at this point.

After checking that Don's eyes were reacting correctly to the light, Hawkes turned to Jo. "Would you get him a glass of water? It seems that he doesn't have a serious head injury, so we can get some painkillers into him before I start checking his ribs…"

Don hadn't moved his hand from around his ribs, but still shook his head, looking at the medicine bottle on Hawkes' hand. "I can't take those painkillers, Doc. I'm on shift tomorrow, let's just get this over with…" He started to gingerly lift his shirt, revealing his bruised chest.

Hawkes sighed, carefully inspecting Flack's ribs. After some poking and probing he was relieved to confirm that at least nothing was sticking in or out of his patient's ribs, which was a good sign. When Jo returned with the water, Hawkes took a couple of pills, offering them to Don. "Mac talked to your Lieutenant, and he said to tell you not to show your face at the precinct until it's no longer black and blue."

Don looked from the meds to Hawkes' face, trying to make him see reason. "I have a ton of paperwork to do Doc…"

Jo offered the glass of water, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure the NYPD can survive without you doing their paperwork for a couple of days."

Knowing that it was a losing battle, Don gave in and accepted the pills, downing them with some water. "It's not fair, you two ganging up on me."

"Next time you get headbutted and thrown around a living room by a deranged giant, we promise to leave you in peace". Said Hawkes, while he and Jo helped Don to sit up in order to wrap some bandages around his ribs.

Blinking sleepily, Don noticed a strange expression on Jo's face. Looking down at his chest he agreed that all the black and blue wasn't exactly the best look for a human chest, but it was not something that would shock an experienced former FBI agent. Then, it hit him. Looking up at Jo he asked her, pointing at the thin line that crossed his left side. "Didn't they tell you about the bomb?"

Now Jo looked really confused, and Hawkes looked between amused and surprised, but they had an increasingly sleepy detective in their hands, so, wrapping the last of the bandages around his chest, it was time to put him to bed. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to tell her all about it some other time, Flack, but now it's time to get you to tuck you in".

They help Flack up, starting toward his bedroom "It's a great story, isn't it Doc?"

Hawkes smiles, "Sure it is, Don…"

"Too bad I don't remember much of it…" He turns to Jo. "You should ask Mac about it, he did all the work anyway…"

Jo chuckled at the detective's behavior, wondering about the story behind it all.

They finally manage to get Flack into bed without much difficulty. As they settle him comfortably he looks at Hawkes. "Thanks Doc…" He blinks sleepily, and with a last sigh, he's asleep.

Jo can't help the motherly gesture of sweeping a few strands of hair off Don's forehead, getting an unexpected reaction from the sleeping man; "Jess, don't go, Love you…" whispers Don, settling into the pillow and finally going still.

She turned to Hawkes, but other than the sad expression on the doctor's face, he didn't give anything away. "He should sleep until the morning. We can leave him and I'll stop over to check on him tomorrow."

Jo looked unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

Hawkes smiled reassuringly. "You would not believe the stuff he has bounced back from… He'll be fine, and he'll wake up feeling much better in the morning". He said softly.

They left him sleeping and went their separate ways.

* * *

Finally heading home, Jo couldn't help but be surprised by how little she knew about the detective she worked with almost every day. She hoped that she'll get a chance to know him a little bit better.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading! When I saw Don and Danny getting thrown around by that brute I couldn0t help but feel that they must have been more injured than they showed on the episode. And I always like to have people caring for Flack, so this came up...

In my mind any interaction between Flack and Jo is purely friendship, in case anyone was wondering.

I hope you liked it, and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

The following day was a busy one for the Crime Lab.

On top of the usual caseload, they had had to make do with one CSI and one Detective less.

Around 3 pm, Jo showed up at Mac's office with two hotdogs in her hands. Mac looked up. "Someone's hungry".

"Well, Detective Scagnetti is great at his work, but he's all business… After we interviewed the neighbors, he drove straight back here, so I thought I'd pick up a hotdog from the stand downstairs". She offered one to Mac. "I hate eating alone, so you're having lunch with me".

Mac accepted the hotdog, chuckling. "You are missing Flack already?"

Jo sat down and started eating her hotdog. "Well, all of the homicide guys are good at their work, but Flack is one of the few not thinking about work _all_ of the time…"

"Well, there's food also. Did you know that he swore off food, especially fast food, after he had to make an arrest at a vending cart central?"

Jo looked surprised. "He didn't! How long did it last?"

Mac smiled sadly. "I think Angell took care of that pretty quickly…" Changing the subject, Mac asked. "I heard you and Hawkes checked on him last night…"

Jo smiled. "Oh, yeah! He was playing the tough guy act. It took some convincing, but after a while, we even managed to get some pain meds into him."

Mac raised his eyebrows. "How did you manage that?"

Jo smirked. "Well, he doesn't know me long enough to figure if my threats are empty or not so much…"

Jo seemed to consider whether to ask a question or not. "Mac, while Hawkes was wrapping his ribs, I noticed some scarring on Flack's left side. He was half asleep from the meds by then, but he said something about a bomb, and he told me to ask you about it?"

Mac sighed. "About five years ago we were called to a crime scene in a building. A security guard was stabbed at an office building. Flack and I were checking a blood trail that lead upstairs when we found a large bomb. We cleared part of the building, but we were still inside when the bomb went off."

"Wait a minute, you two were the cops trapped in that building that exploded in West Village?"

"You heard about that?"

"Everyone heard about it! We had to review all of our security protocols after that… So, my guess is that you were the detective that came out unharmed and Flack was the one in critical condition?"

Mac nodded. "Yes. I woke up with rubble all around me, but I was mostly unharmed. I started calling out for Flack, and looking for him. There was a large copy machine that fell down from the floor above. It came very close to crushing Flack, but part of it fell on top of him. He had a gaping wound on his side, he was bleeding profusely. I had to use a shoelace to stop a bleeding artery, and use scraps of my shirt to keep him from bleeding out. Fortunately it took them only a couple of hours to find us."

Jo looked amazed. "Wow, you saved his life! If you hadn't been there he would have bled to death."

Mac shrugged. "If I hadn't been there, maybe he wouldn't have been checking a blood trail…"

"Nonsense! You kept him alive long enough for help to arrive." She waved her hand dismissively. "So, how long before he could go back on duty?"

Mac shook his head. "He spent about four weeks in the Hospital, and two weeks later he managed to convince his Lt. to let him on desk duty a couple of days a week. He came back on full duty a month later, before he even finished his PT."

"I imagined he was stubborn, but not that much!" Jo laughed, shaking her head.

Mac chuckled too. "You'd be surprised."

They finished their hotdogs in silence and Jo stood up. "Well, thank you for joining me…"

Mac nodded. "Thank you for buying."

Jo was passing through the door. "Anytime." She stopped suddenly, and turned around. "One last thing…"

Mac looked up. "Yes?"

Jo looked hesitant. "I may have pried enough already, but last night, when Flack was falling asleep he mentioned a woman's name, Jess. It was strange, because he was all alone in his apartment after being beat up by a suspect and this Jess lady was nowhere to be found. Should I bother giving her a call to ask her to check on him?"

Mac winced. "You'd have a hard time getting a hold of her. She died last year."

Jo looked surprised, but somehow something clicked. "Detective Jessica Angell?"

Mac lifted his eyebrows. "You've heard of her?"

Jo nodded. "The other day I was telling Lindsay about how we caught that guy that made the calls to Jeremy Harris' parents. She mentioned that it sounded like something that Angell would do. Lindsay said she was a great detective, but I had no idea that Flack and her were in a relationship."

Mac shrugged. "Somehow they managed to keep the whole Department out of the loop for a long while, but eventually we figured it out. When she was killed, he was never the same. You'd have to be blind not to see how much he cared for her. "

Jo looked at Mac sadly. "He loved her, he still does."

Mac sighed looking down. "Just because she's gone doesn't mean that you stop loving her."

Jo arched her eyebrows. "Does that come from personal experience?"

Mac's answer was cut short by the arrival of Adam, looking excited. "Boss, you've gotta see this!"

Mac looked apologetic, but followed Adam. Jo followed as well, it was time to get back to the case.

She had a feeling that this conversation would take place some other time, maybe over drinks and away from the office.

There was plenty she didn't know about the people she worked with, but at least now a few questions had been cleared, but for now, they had a job to do.

TBC…

A/N: Thank you for reading, and thanks to all who reviewed. I hope you stick around!

And Please, review, if you feel like it


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: This chapter contains some spoilers from Episode 7X11 - To what end?_

* * *

"_Thieves get rich, saints get shot, and God doesn't always answer your prayers" Don Flack Jr. CSI NY _

* * *

A couple of weeks later, things were back to normal in the crime lab. Or as normal as they could be in New York's Crime Lab.

After a tough case, Danny and Lindsay were ready to head home. Stopping by the precinct, Danny approached Flack's desk. "Flack, you still here? I didn't think Renton's booking would take that long…"

Flack looked up from his paperwork. "It didn't. Bobby was booked about an hour ago…"

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Then what are you still doing here? The Rangers are playing tonight! In fact, Lindsay and I were just heading home. D'you wanna grab a bite and catch the game at my place?"

Flack sighed. "Thanks Danny, but I have to finish some paperwork. After that, I just wanna go home and get some sleep."

Danny looked worried. "Will you be ok?"

Flack almost replied with his patented _"I'm fine"_ line, but thought better of it. "I will be. Don't worry, Danno, go home."

With a sigh, Danny turned and left. "Alright, call me if you need anything…"

"Don't worry, Danny. Goodnight."

With Danny gone, Flack managed to finish the last of his paperwork, gather his things and finally leave the precinct after a very long day.

* * *

Somehow, even though all he wanted to do was to go home and crash on his couch, he found himself in front of the nearest bar. Maybe he wouldn't drink as much here as he would at home. Maybe he was just dreading being alone. Either way, he spent about ten minutes deciding whether to go in or to go home.

The decision was taken from him the minute a familiar face turned the corner.

"Flack?"

Flack turned to see the curious face of Jo Danville. "Jo? What are you doing here?"

Jo smiled. "I skipped lunch today, and I'm starving! Adam said that here was a place down this street that was open 24/7, so I thought I'd grab something to eat before heading home." She looked pensive. "Can I ask you the same question?"

Flack sighed. "I was heading home, and I ended up here…"

Jo raised her eyebrows. "Standing outside of a bar?"

Flack looked at her, shrugging.

Jo put a hand on his arm. "Well, are you hungry?"

That got a small smile out of Flack. "Haven't you heard? I'm always hungry."

Jo chuckled. "Well, then you won't mind joining me for a late… Make that very late dinner" She said, checking her watch.

Flack smiled. "How could I refuse such an offer…" He said, letting himself be led towards the diner down the street.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were eating their food very quietly. Jo studied Flack for a moment, while he picked at his food, his mind elsewhere. "I don't think the D.A. will want to get too rough on Bobby…" She said, still studying his reaction.

Flack looked up at that. "He's going to jail for killing the man that wanted him dead. I think that's rough enough…"

Jo sighed. "Donald, you do realize that there was nothing different you could have done, right?"

At the use of his full first name, Flack winced and chuckled. Jo looked confused. "What? That is your name, right? What do they call you then? Don? Donnie?" She said with a teasing smile.

"Only Danny and Stella ever called me Donnie, and Stella only did it to get on my nerves…"

Jo looked on, interested. "You two were close?"

Don smiled. "She is a good friend. You could always count on her when you needed someone to listen…"

Jo smiled. "Do you miss her?"

Don shrugged. "Yeah, sometimes… You can't help but miss people you've spent most of your last few years…"

"Have you two talked recently?" Asked Jo.

Don shook his head. "Nah… I'm sure she has enough on her plate having to run the New Orleans Crime Lab, and I don't have anything good worth giving her a call, so why bother her with the bad stuff?" He shrugged, concentrating on his food.

Jo studied him for a moment. "So, who do you go to when bad stuff happens?"

Flack looked up, surprised. "Who says I should go to someone when bad stuff happens?"

It was Jo's turn to look surprised. "Nobody _says_ it, but people usually lean on their loved ones when they've had a tough day, or when life in general gets difficult."

Don smiled. "Haven't you heard? The Crime Lab is our family. We have always been there for each other when the going gets tough…"

Jo smiled too. "Danny and Lindsay have told me how you've always been there when they have needed your help, and Hawkes was very worried about you and Danny when that suspect used you both as punching bags… You all seem to be very close…" She studied him for a moment. "And yet on the day you found out that a kid you got to testify against two drug dealers and into witness protection, somehow ended up as a cold blooded murderer, you end up alone, standing outside of a bar."She paused a moment, weighing his reaction. "How did you manage to get Danny off your back?" She smirked.

Don looked down, sheepishly. "I told him that after I finished my paperwork, I would go straight home and get some sleep…"

Jo looked pleased with herself. "Ah! So it's not so much that they left you alone on your moment of need but it's you not wanting their help…"

Flack looked up briefly from his food, but lowered his eyes quickly. "They have enough on their plate; they shouldn't have to put up with my problems. It's nothing I can't deal with on my own…"

Jo looked dubious. "Really? Then how come you didn't answer my question?"

Flack looked up at that. "What question?"

She looked him in the eye. "Do you realize that there was nothing you could have done differently?"

Flack's eyes hardened. "He gave up his family because I asked him to testify, to give up his life."

Jo didn't flinch. "He gave up his family because he chose to. Or did you ask him to leave without them?"

He looked down. "I didn't give him many options, either risk his and his pregnant girlfriend's lives or risk his own life, and never see her or their kid. And it was all for nothing! They found him anyway…"

Jo tilted her head, trying to catch Don's eyes. "Bobby was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You know better than most that bad things happen to good people…"

Flack scoffed. "You know, that's what I told him. It's not always fair, bad things happen to good people… He lost his family! The bad guys win, the wrong people go free… Angels get sho - damn…" He covered his eyes with his right hand, kneading his throbbing forehead. "Shit happens, I know that…" He took a deep breath.

Jo looked at him sympathetically. "And yet, in spite of all that, there are still people that go out there and do their best to make things better… People that may have lost a loved one themselves, and yet they wake up every day and go to work in this system that may not be perfect, but it's the best we have…"

Don lifted his damp eyes to look at Jo. "Maybe they do it because this job is the only thing keeping them sane?"

Jo smiled encouragingly. "Nah… I believe they are saner than they give themselves credit for. They just need to be reminded of the important stuff every once in a while."

That got a small smile from Don. "And what would that be, huh?"

"That you don't always have to bear the weight on your own. That you don't have to do it all alone."

Flack shrugged. "Well, sometimes it's harder to ask for help that to deal with stuff on your own…"

Jo smirked. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like this is not a matter of asking for help, but to accept the help that's being offered…"

Flack winced. "They have enough stuff to deal with, without having to worry about me…"

"I know I haven't met them for a long time, but I can tell that they wouldn't offer their help if it was too much for them… I know I wouldn't mind going out for drinks or another very, very, late dinner with you if you ever felt like it…"

Flack looked surprised. "You?"

Jo shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, I kind of like the whole family thing you've got going… I was hoping you'd adopt me into it?"

Flack smiled. "Yeah…. I'd like that…" He said, finally relaxing. "We'd have to get the approval of the committee though…" he said, teasing.

* * *

Since Flack's place was on the way to Jo's, they shared a cab. As they were nearing Flack's place he turned to her, a serious expression on his face. "You're a really good profiler, did you know that?"

Jo just smiled. "See you tomorrow Flack, have a good night."

Flack smiled. "You know that next time I won't let you pull that shrink mojo with me, right?"

Jo smirked. "Fair enough, won't happen again." As he was getting ready to get out of the cab, Jo reached out to give him a one armed hug. Unconsciously, Don leaned into her shoulder, taking a deep breath and muttering a heartfelt "Thank you" before getting out of the car.

* * *

As the taxi rode out, Flack was surprised to feel somehow lighter that he had felt in weeks. Maybe Jo was right, and he was not as alone as he once thought.

* * *

The End

* * *

A/N: If you reached this point, thank you very much for reading. I hope you liked the end of this story, and whether you liked it or not so much, I hope you take the time to leave a note!

See you around!


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